Impact machine



April 9, 1968 J. w. PERRY ET AL IMPACT MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1966 INVENTOR. JAMES W. PERRY GOETTL HENDERSON 'GOETTL April 9, 1968 w. PERRY ET AL 3,376,799

IMPACT MACHINE Filed May 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 4 4 4 P m 2 w m m HM u 7. 6 ll 2| & I A 5 mm o 6 2 8 O I A l6 8 M 2 8 O 7 O 8 JNVENTOR. JAMES w. PERRY WILLIAM 88 H. GOETTL EMERY L. HENDERSON United States Patent 3,376,799 IMPACT MACHINE James W. Perry, Phoenix, Ariz.; William H. Goettl, 4717 N. Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85251; and Emery L. Henderson and John M. Goettl, Phoenix, Ariz.; said Perry, said Henderson, and said John M. Goettl assignors to said William H. Goettl Filed May 5, 1966, Ser. No. 547,964

- 7 Claims. (Cl. 94-49) This invention relates to an impact machine and more particularly, to an impact machine for use in tamping and/ or compacting operations.

It has been a problem to provide an efiicient and reliable compacting device which is readily useful on various machines, such as conventional tractors and backhoe machines, or the like.

Further, it has been a problem to provide a suitable impact machine for use in compacting earth or the like and one which imposed impact on the earth, while the weight of the vehicle carrying it, may be imposed upon the machine to preload the compaction shoe thereof.

Additionally, prior art impact machines have not been entirely satisfactory for various work in angular dispositions; said angular dispositions being to apply impact at various angles displaced from the vertical for compacting and/or displacing or wreckin various structures.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providea very compact, eflicient and durable impact machine for use in combination with various tractor-like vehicles, such as backhoe machines, or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel impact machine having a hollow cylindrical housing forming a frame and combined enclosure for a plunger, an anvil, a hammer, a connecting rod, crank pin, bearings and drive mechanism of the machine of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide an impact machine having a novel anvil, hammer and hammer cushion mechanism wherein the anvil is spring loaded toward the hammer and restrained in a fixed position by locating rods, such that the hammer, when reciprocating back and forth towards the anvil, will impose an impact force during each cycle of operation on the cushion between the hammer and the anvil to thereby compress the'springs of the mechanism which spring load the hammer and to thereby forcefully move the plunger of the machine. Another object of the inven'tion'is to provide an impact machine having very durable hammer drive mechanism comprising a connecting rod, crank pin, associated bearing-s and a hydraulic motor for driving the crank pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel impact machine and a novel combination thereof with alcon'ventional backhoe actuating arm mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an impact machine, in accordance with the present invention, and showing the impact machine connected in a novel manner to a backhoe actuating mechanism and supporting vehicle and illustrating by broken lines, varying axial dispositions of the impact machine of the invention, as controlled by'the conventionalbackhoe actuating mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the impact machine of the invention, showing portions thereof fragmentarily and portions thereof in elevation;

FIG. 3 is :an enlarged plan sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken 3,375,799 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 from the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a hydraulic motor and drive mechanism for the hammer of the impact machine of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the impact machine of the invention, generally indicated -at 10, is carried by backhoe actuating mechanism, generally indicated at 12, said actuating mechanism being connected to a conventional tractor 14 comprising a hydraulic pressure fluid source 16 and controls 18.

The impact machine of the invention comprises a compaction shoe 20 carried by a plunger 22 reciprocally mounted in a housing 24, the upper end of which is provided with mounts 26 and 28. The mount 28 is provided with a pivot pin 30 which is pivotally connected to an extending end 32 of an outer arm 34 of the backhoe actuating mechanism 12. The mount 26 is provided with a pivot pin 36 pivotally connected to a link 33 having an-opposite end connected to a pin 40 which forms a pivotal connection for a plunger 42 of a hydraulic cylinder 44 which is pivotally mounted at 46 on a plate mechanism 48'.

Also pivotally connected to the pin 40 is a link 50 having its opposite end pivoted on a pin 52 extending through the arm 34 or carried thereby in spaced relation to the pivot pin 30.

The arm 34 and plate 48 are pivotally mounted by means of a pin 54 to an upwardly extending end 56 of an arm 58 movably mounted on the vehicle 14.

A hydraulic cylinder 60 is pivot-ally mounted on a pin 62 in connection with the arms 58 and a plunger 64 of the cylinder 60 is pivoted on a pin 66 of the plate 48, such as to actuate the arm 34 pivotally relative to the arm 58 and about the axis of the pin 54. The cylinder 44 is capable of pivoting the links 38 and 50 about the axes of the pins 36 and 52 and to thereby pivot the housing 24 of the impact mechanism about the axis of the pin 28. In this manner, the impact axis A of the impact machine may be pivotally moved and disposed in other axial positions represented at B, C and D, all as indicated best in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

The impact shoe 20 is variable in size and provided with a lower surface 23 which may be directed downwardly in the direction, as indicated by the broken line A and the arrow in connection therewith.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the plunger 22 carrying the compaction 20 is reciprocally mounted in a bushing 64 mounted in a housing end member 66 secured in a lower end of the hollow cylindrical housing 24.

Bolts 68 secure the housing end member in connection with the lower end of the housing 24.

Carried on an upper end portion 70 of the plunger 22 is a hammer anvil 72. This anvil 72 is preferably made of steel or the like, and is generally circular in cross-section. Openings 74 extending through the anvil 72 carry bolts 76, the heads 78 of which are recessed in recesses 80 adjacent to a resilient hammer cushion 82, as will be hereinafter described.

The bolts 76 serve as locating rods and extend from the anvil 72 through openings 84 in the housing end member 66, the lower or outer ends of the rods 76 are provided with externally screw threaded portions carrying nuts 86 which abut washers 8-8 which in turn abut the end surface 90 of the housing end member 66.

The bolts 76 are surrounded by bushings or sleeves 92 abutted to which are compression springs 94 which surround the bolts 76 and tend to urge the anvil 72 in a direction away from the housing end member 66 to support the hammer cushion 82 in position to be struck by a lower end 96 of the hammer 98 which is reciprocally mounted internally of the hollow cylindrical housing 24.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that hammer and anvil guides 100 and 102 are secured to inner opposite sides of the housing 24 by means of respective bolts 104 and 106 which extend through the side wall portions of the housing 24. These rectilinear guides 100 and 102 are disposed in notched portions 108 and 109 of the hammer 98. These rectilinear guides 100 and 102 extend, as shown in FIG. 5, normally above an upper end 110 of the hammer 98 and below a lower edge 112 of the anvil 72. The guide 100, as shown in FIG. 5, extends through the notched portion 108 in one side of the hammer 98 and extends through a comparable notch 114 in the hamme cushion 82 and a comparable notch 116 in the perimeter of the anvil 72. Likewise, the guide 102 extends through similar notches in the hammer 98, the hammer cushion 82 and the anvil 72. Thus, as the hammer, the hammer cushion and the anvil reciproca-te internally of the housing 24, the guides 100 and 102 provide rectilinear bearings for these members, maintain alignment thereof and to minimize friction of the moving parts.

The hammer cushion 82 is resilient, preferably being made of neoprene or any other suitable resilient or yieldable material.

The hammer 98 is a circular in cross-section piston-like member and fixed to an end of this hammer 98 opposite to its impact end 86 are a pair of wrist pin supports 118 and .120. These supports are spaced apart and pivotally mounted therebctween is a connecting rod 122. This connecting rod is pivoted on a wrist pin 124 projecting through the wrist pin supports 118 and 120.

A suitable bushing 126 surrounds the wrist pin 124 and is carried by the connecting rod 122. The connecting rod 122 is provided with an opening 127 carrying the head of a cam follower-type bearing 128, the shank 130 of which is carried eccentrically on a crank pin 132, such that the crank pin 132 is axially parallel to the axis 134 of the crank pin 132, but located eccentrically thereof.

The crank pin 132 is carried by a pair of roller bearings 136 and 138 concentrically a cylindrical bearing retainer sleeve 140 precisely fitted in a hollow cylindrical housing portion 142 of the housing 24 and located axially at right angles to the hollow cylindrical axis of the housing 24.

A cover plate 144 is disposed to enclose the end of the bearing supporting sleeve 140 and bolts 146 extend through the cover 144 and a flange of the sleeve 140 and are screw threaded into the housing portion 142, all as shown best in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

A hydraulic motor 148 is provided with a mounting flange 150 which is secured by bolts 152 to the cover plate 144.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, lock nuts 154 and 156 are screw threaded on the outer side of the crank pin 134 and hold the bearings 136 and 138 preloaded elative to each other. These bearings are opposed Timken-type roller bearings and may be precisely preloaded by means of the lock nuts 154 and 156.

Interposed between these look nuts 154 and 156 is a lock washer 158 of a conventional type adapted to lock the nuts 156 and 158 in precise relation to the inne races of the roller bearings 136 and 138 to precisely hold the crank pin 134 located wit-h respect to the axis of the motor 148 and to actuate the connecting rod 122.

As shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the motor 148 is provided with a power output shaft 160 having an externally splined stub 162 which fits into an internally splined bore 164 of the crank pin 132. Accordingly, the hydraulic motor 148 is precisely assembled relative to the crank pin 132 for driving it precisely about the axis 134 maintained by the roller bearings 136 and 138. Thus, rotation of the crank pin 132 causes eccentric axially parallel movement of the cam follower 128 about the axis 134 moving the connecting rod 122 axially relative to the housing 24 and the plunger 22, such as to cause reciprocating movement of the hammer 98 and to cause its impact end 36 to pound on the cushion 82 which transmits the impact force to the anvil 72.

The bolts 76 at their nuts 86 are adjustably disposed, such that the heads 78 hold the anvil 72 and the cushion 82 in an interfering relation with the impact end 86 of the hammer 98, such that when it is reciprocally operated by the motor 148, crank pin 132 and connecting rod 122, that the plunger 22 is successively forced in a downward direction, as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 1 of the drawings, to cause a lower surface of the compaction shoe 20 to be pounded into the earth or other structure engaged thereby concurrently. Force applied by the cylinders 44 and 62 through their respective plungers 42 and 64- loads the lower surface of the compaction shoe downwardly in accordance with the weight of the vehicle 14, such that the shoe 20 at its lower surface 23 is continuously loaded downwardly against the earth or other material comparable to the weight of the vehicle and, thus, impact force caused by actuation of the hammer 98 is very effective due to the combined d-own bearing force of the vehicle and the impact cycles of the hammer 98 pounding on the cushion 82 and the anvil 72.

It will be understood that compressibility of the cushion 82 is slight, yet it prevents over center jamming of the hammer 98 against the anvil 72 when the impact machine of the invention is highly loaded by means of the forces applied through the plungers 42 and 64 and in accordance with the weight of the vehicle 14.

It will be apparent that when the axis of the housing 24 is moved into the various positions A, B, C and D, that the compaction shoe 20 may be used for other purposes, including compaction, wrecking of old buildings and operations, as desired.

The motor 148 is a hydraulic moto furnished hydraulic pressure through flexible conduits 149 and this hydraulic pressure fluid may be from the same source as that which furnishes pressure fluid to the cylinders 44 and 60, namely, the source 16 operable by the power plant of the vehicle 14, as hereinbefore described.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In an impact machine the combination of: a hollow cylindrical housing having first and second ends; a first end member removably fixed on said first end; fixtures on said first end member adapted to be pivotally connected to a down bearing arm of a backhoe vehicle, or the like; a normally lower end of said housing; a second end member removably fixed to said second end of said housing and having a plunger guiding opening therein; a plunger extending through said opening; an impact tool carried by said plunger and disposed externally of said housing and beyond said second end member; a portion of said plunger projecting into said housing; an anvil connected to said plunger; a hammer reciprocally mounted in said housing to stroke toward and away from said anvil; wrist pin, connecting rod and crank pin means coupled to said hammer to cause and control the reciprocal stroke of said hammer in said housing; a hydraulic motor for rotating said crank pin; a resilient cushion member disposed between said hammer and said anvil; resilient means tending to move said anvil toward said hammer; anvil locating means tending to restrain said anvil and said cushion against force of said resilient means to hold said anvil and the cushion in position to interfere with the stroke of said hammer and whereby said anvil receives impact force from said hammer through said cushion to cause forceful impact force to be trans mitted by said plunger to said impact tool.

2. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said housing is circular in cross-section; rectilinear guides projecting from inner opposite walls of said housing and disposed in axial alignment with the reciprocating direction of said hammer; said hammer, said anvil and said cushion having notches in which said guides are positioned, whereby reciprocal movement of said hammer, said cushion and said anvil are guided by said guides internally of said housing.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said housing is provided with a crank pin bearing housing disposed at substantially right angles to the axis of movement of said hammer; said bearing housing having a pair of tapered roller bearings therein supporting said crank pins; said crank pin having an internally splined bore; said hydraulic motor having an externally splined shaft engaged in said bore; and a cap mounting said hydraulic motor to enclose one side of said bearing housing; both end members of said housing and said cap tending substantially to enclose said housing to protect the wearing elements of said anvil, said hammer, wrist pin, connecting rod, crank pins and crank pin bearings.

4. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said anvil locating means comprising rods connected to said second end member and projecting upwardly and having heads thereon, said rods extending through openings in said anvil, whereby said anvil is movable relative to said rods and said heads limit the movement of said anvil toward said hammer; and springs surrounding said rods and urging said anvil into engagement with said heads; and recess portions in said anvil containing said heads.

5. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said fixtures on said first end member, including a pair of spaced pivotal members spaced laterally of the axis of said plunger so as to permit pivotal actuation of said housing by a conventional arm mechanism of a backhoe vehicle.

6. In an impact machine the combination of: a frame having first and second ends; a first end member fixed on said first end; fixtures on said first end member adapted to be pivotally connected to a down bearing member of a vehicle; a normally lower end of said frame; a second end member fixed to said second end of said frame and having a plunger guiding opening therein; a plunger extending through said opening; an impact tool carried by said plunger and disposed beyond said end member; an anvil connected to said plunger; a hammer reciprocally mounted on said frame to stroke toward and away from said anvil; means coupled to said hammer to cause reciprocal stroking of said hammer relative to said frame; a resilient cushion member disposed between said hammer and said anvil; resilient means tending to move said anvil toward said hammer; anvil locating means tending to restrain said anvil and said cushion against force of said resilient means to hold said anvil and said cushion in position to interfer with the stroke of said hammer and whereby said anvil receives impact force from said hammer through said cushion to cause forceful impact force to be transmitted by said plunger to said impact tool.

7. The invention, as defined in claim 6, wherein: said frame comprises a hollow cylindrical housing surrounding said hammer, said resilient cushion and said anvil.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,023,628 3/1962 Heppner 9449 X 3,091,159 5/1963 Miller 94 49 3,128,682 4/1964 Thompson 94-49 X 3,308,729 3/1967 Kestel 94-49 3,308,730 3/1967 Vorwald 94-49 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

NILE C. BY ERS, Examiner. 

1. IN AN IMPACT MACHINE THE COMBINATION OF: A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS; A FIRST END MEMBER REMOVABLY FIXED ON SAID FIRST END; FIXTURES ON SAID FIRST END MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO A DOWN BEARING ARM OF A BACKHOE VEHICLE, OR THE LIKE; A NORMALLY LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING; A SECOND END MEMBER REMOVABLY FIXED TO SAID SECOND END OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A PLUNGER GUIDING OPENING THEREIN; A PLUNGER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING; AN IMPACT TOOL CARRIED BY SAID PLUNGER AND DISPOSED EXTERNALLY OF SAID HOUSING AND BEYOND SAID SECOND END MEMBER; A PORTION OF SAID PLUNGER PROJECTING INTO SAID HOUSING; AN ANVIL CONNECTED TO SAID PLUNGER; A HAMMER RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING TO STROKE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID ANVIL; WRIST PIN, CONNECTING ROD AND CRANK PIN MEANS COUPLED TO SAID HAMMER TO CAUSE AND CONTROL THE RECIPROCAL STROKE OF SAID HAMMER IN SAID HOUSING; A HYDRAULIC MOTOR FOR ROTATING SAID CRANK PIN; A RESILIENT CUSHION MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID HAMMER AND SAID ANVIL; RESILIENT MEANS TENDING TO MOVE SAID ANVIL TOWARD SAID HAMMER; ANVIL LOCATING MEANS TENDING TO RESTRAIN SAID ANVIL AND SAID CUSHION AGAINST FORCE OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO HOLD SAID ANVIL AND THE CUSHION IN POSITION TO INTERFERE WITH THE STROKE OF SAID HAMMER AND WHEREBY SAID ANVIL RECEIVES IMPACT FORCE FROM SAID HAMMER THROUGH SAID CUSHION TO CAUSE FORCEFUL IMPACT FORCE TO BE TRANSMITTED BY SAID PLUNGER TO SAID IMPACT TOOL. 